1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to container storage systems and, more specifically, to a space saving container storage system wherein a plurality of containers having similar shapes but different sizes may fit one inside the other. Each container includes a lid which is releasably securable to both an open end of the container and a base of the container. Each lid has a unique color which corresponds to the color of the outer edge of the base of its matching container for easy storage thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Storage containers, such as those manufactured by Tupperware®, frequently come in an assortment of shapes and sizes. However, the method of storing these containers is spatially inefficient and requires nesting containers one in side the other while separating each container from its corresponding lid. This separation of corresponding parts causes difficulty upon later user thereof.
Numerous other stackable containers exist in the prior art. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 1,778,175 issued to E. E. Thune on Oct. 14, 1930.
A patent was issued to C. E. Pieck on Oct. 20, 1936 as U.S. Pat. No. 2,057,972. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,246 was issued to R. P. Spinoza on Mar. 3, 1964.
A patent was issued to J. L. Gwilliam, Jr. et al. on Nov. 2, 1976 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,142 and W. G. Holt was issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,329 on Sep. 13, 1977. U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,923 was issued on Dec. 4, 1984 to R. A. Schwaikert. U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,179 was issued to W. T. Volk on Dec. 12, 1989 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,832 was issued on Aug. 28, 1990 to B. J. Tenney et al. A patent was issued to P. L. Havens et al. on Feb. 9, 1993 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,745 and R. L. Abrums was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,656 on Dec. 24, 1996.
Another patent was issued to R. L. Abrums as U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,792 on Sep. 1, 1998 and a patent was issued to John L. Wallberg on Dec. 12, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,607.
While these container storage systems may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.